"washington post" columnist michael gerson, and our own norah o'donnell and major garrett, our chief white house correspondent. it's all ahead on "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news in washington, "face the nation" with bob schieffer. >> schieffer: good morning, again. well, to the famous combos of modern life, from mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, rum and coke, bread and butter, and salt and pe pepper, add one more pair simpson-bowles. alan simpson may be in wyomingy and erskine bowles in north carolina but you can't mention one without think of the other. when you headed up the bipartisan deficit commission appointed by the president you laid out the dire consequences if we don't get the country back on a sound financial footing. the two sides are still at loggerheads. i guess i would start this morning by mr.-- and mr. bowles, why don't you go first-- is all this just posture or are they really going to let us go over this fiscal cliff? >> lord, i hope not, bob. i think it would be disastrous for the country if we did. you know, you can look at the